Public Swimming Anxieties

[Requireminx]

So I've had my suntail for about a full year and haven't even swam in it yet! Every time I think about it I just get super nervous about negative reactions, people asking to use it (I personally would rather not let that happen), or accidentally hurting someone. I know the most common bad thing to happen would just be a lifeguard telling me I can't use it (although I would only go to pools that I am sure I can use it) and its so big, I don't know where to put it if I wanted to take a break from using the monofin!


Anyone else struggle with these anxieties or manage to overcome them?

[lotusauriel]

You are already going where you know you can use it, so you just dive in and do it. Do NOT let anyone else use it, because it's like a swimsuit or underwear, and that's just gross... lol. Use goggles so you can see, to not hurt yourself or anyone else. And yeah, just do it. Once you get in, and swim as a mermaid, you will never want to swim as a human again. If you do need to take it off, just put it with your other stuff, and keep an eye on it. Swim with people you know, so you have help if you panic. And allow yourself to enjoy it. You will be fine. You are a mermaid.

[shylittleshadow]

I had the same struggle at camp. I'd used my tail in a friend's pool alone before but I wanted to try the lake. I struggle with anxiety so it took a lot of courage. I had to just do it. There's no secret. You have to just dive in. I was amazed at how many people had positive reactions. You can do it. The fist time is always the hardest.

[Echidna]

You are already going where you know you can use it, so you just dive in and do it. Do NOT let anyone else use it, because it's like a swimsuit or underwear, and that's just gross... lol. Use goggles so you can see, to not hurt yourself or anyone else. And yeah, just do it. Once you get in, and swim as a mermaid, you will never want to swim as a human again. If you do need to take it off, just put it with your other stuff, and keep an eye on it. Swim with people you know, so you have help if you panic. And allow yourself to enjoy it. You will be fine. You are a mermaid.

all of this

if my tail/fin won't fit in the locker, I just put it with my bathing robe and stuff and keep an eye on it.
I also think people will refrain from stealing something as big and attention-rousing as a huge monofin/tail, but you never know^^

Just don't let stupid reactions get to you.
Kids will probably all love it, but you might also encounter that extremely dumb and jealous person who will try to spoil your fun.
Ignore that one and have fun with your tail, it's so much better than normal swimming!

[Auricle]

I'm also a super anxious person so I get where you're coming from, but if you go somewhere you know allows tails, you'll probably only get positive reactions! ' u ' that being said, do be super careful about leaving your tail unnattended!! Mine got stolen for a day (and then turned in thank goodness) because I was stupid and didn't keep a super watchful eye on it.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I find it was way easier to go for it when i was with other mermaids! Maybe try to meet up with someone locally!

[Requireminx]

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!!! I did it and spent about 3 hours going back and forth haha.. And there was no problem of course, and a little boy even came up to me and talked about if he was a merman he would have a blue tail, it was so cute!! :^D

[Khaleesi Daenerys]

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!!! I did it and spent about 3 hours going back and forth haha.. And there was no problem of course, and a little boy even came up to me and talked about if he was a merman he would have a blue tail, it was so cute!! :^D

That is so sweet. Kids are amazing.

[Nerdmaid Faith]

So many people ask me about this and my answer is pretty simple. I hardly have any anxieties about it anymore because I literally strut onto the pool deck like I own the place (helps because I work there) and do not give a ship about what anyone thinks. If they have a problem it does not matter to me at all.

Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk

[NorthSeaAlaria]

Ramble Time!
I have the "fun" thing in the UK of having to negotiate with public pools to even be allowed to use a monofin, let alone a full tail yet. It's because it's so unheard of in the UK and health and safety are kind of baffled on what to do with us. I'm waiting on one pool that I might start doing events for to give a reply, and for now I have to travel about 40 minutes away first thing in the flipping morning for a chance to use my fin at another pool a friend goes to. I train with her and her daughter under strict rules from the pool (lane or small pool only, if someone gets in you get out etc) and hilariously EVERY SINGLE TIME a lifeguard will start obliviously giving us the "We don't allow monofins" talk so we have to tell them every time that we have the manager's permission. It's both annoying and amusing.

But when it comes to confidence? Yeah swimming feels a bit weird in public. Especially the one time I trained without the rest of my makeshift pod XD heard a good few kids go "Woah!" spotting our fins last time and I'm going to be SO nervous when we try full tails in that pool. Here's hoping it only attracts positive attention!

[TheChimera]

I know exactly what you mean, my first swim was in my self made fabric tail and my only audience was my then boyfriend. I moved to the coast about 4 years ago and I'm going to start mermaiding again now that things at work have calmed down. Looking at getting a magictail to go to some of the local beaches with but I'm so socially anxious so I totally get it. But I guess we just can't let our fears outweigh our desire to do what we really want to do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NorthSeaAlaria]

I know exactly what you mean, my first swim was in my self made fabric tail and my only audience was my then boyfriend. I moved to the coast about 4 years ago and I'm going to start mermaiding again now that things at work have calmed down. Looking at getting a magictail to go to some of the local beaches with but I'm so socially anxious so I totally get it. But I guess we just can't let our fears outweigh our desire to do what we really want to do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ooh that sounds really nice given your location don't forget to be careful in the sea, we don't want any accidents! But you're lucky, I bet South Africa's a fair bit warmer for swimming than the North of England.

[TheChimera]

Speaking of being careful in the sea, my partner and I took my stepson to be to the beach yesterday and I dove into a particularly strong wave and now I'm lying in bed with insane whiplash lol🤣 sea was a tad rough yesterday, that's what you get for being careless. Will have to be extra careful with a tail, I suppose it gets easier the deeper in you swim. Hehehe the North of England sounds fantastic, always wanted to take a trip to the U.K. And travel Europe in general, especially Romania, I'm not bothered by the cold we are very fortunate to have mostly temperate weather here though. What are your coasts like?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NorthSeaAlaria]

They’re absolutely bloody freezing XD I live only a few minutes drive from the sea which is wonderful, but most of the time it’s too cold for me to stand even walking along one of the many little beaches for how windy it gets! My mer friend who is a hell of a lot braver than me did a sponsored swim on Boxing Day in her tail and I watched and oh god I was nearly crying from the cold. It’s kind of not so bad on particularly hot summer days if we get any but that’s when everyone goes to the beach and I’d worry a bit about tail swimming then tbh.

[Merman Dan]

You have to find your own space. Even if the pool is crowded, go in there with the attitude of "I am swimming for me. I will have fun."
My local pool has swim meets all of the time. More often than not I am in a pool next to hundreds of teens. So yeah, I end up on Twitter and other social media platforms a lot.

[Nerdmaid Faith]

You have to find your own space. Even if the pool is crowded, go in there with the attitude of "I am swimming for me. I will have fun."
My local pool has swim meets all of the time. More often than not I am in a pool next to hundreds of teens. So yeah, I end up on Twitter and other social media platforms a lot.

Legit you will make your own space. People WILL move. My pod will often inhabit one corner and no one will bother us or get in our space

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

[Ransom]

I've absolutely NO public swims under my belt. Guess it's more awkward if you're male -- I wonder what'll happen if I'm photographed and recognised :s

It doesn't help that over here, lots of lifeguarded pools really hate fins and tails.

Love Faith's vid on the topic tho - https://youtu.be/oG3ncOF3g20

[Slim]

As a male, there one key advice: Just do it! I always start off with a finis foil monofin and then do the tail on the 2nd visit.

I've absolutely NO public swims under my belt. Guess it's more awkward if you're male -- I wonder what'll happen if I'm photographed and recognised :s

It doesn't help that over here, lots of lifeguarded pools really hate fins and tails.

Love Faith's vid on the topic tho - https://youtu.be/oG3ncOF3g20

[TybeeMermaid]

You have to find your own space. Even if the pool is crowded, go in there with the attitude of "I am swimming for me. I will have fun."
My local pool has swim meets all of the time. More often than not I am in a pool next to hundreds of teens. So yeah, I end up on Twitter and other social media platforms a lot.

Wow, I've actually raced the girl that posted that video. If it's any consolation, I kicked her butt in the 200 and 500 freestyle. I'm usually among the swimmers that take over a pool for a weekend for a meet. I've always admired the locals that brave the pool when we're all there. It's practically chaos! Props to you doing it in a tail! I've always thought about bringing my tail to a meet to get a funny picture in it.

[Ransom]

Wow, I've actually raced the girl that posted that video. If it's any consolation, I kicked her butt in the 200 and 500 freestyle. I'm usually among the swimmers that take over a pool for a weekend for a meet. I've always admired the locals that brave the pool when we're all there. It's practically chaos! Props to you doing it in a tail! I've always thought about bringing my tail to a meet to get a funny picture in it.

Haha my club pool has serious ex- and current competition swimmers using it after office hours, though it's thankfully lifeguard-less. Always wondered what it'd be like tail swimming around them

Another pool I can use has a wicked cool window that lets people in the parking area see in. Sadly, no tails or fins allowed, or even approaching the glass. Urggh